Small business success encompasses many things.  Running a small business takes many talents.  Starting your own business takes a lot of energy.  You start building momentum and then the Holidays come.  

For some entrepreneurs and solo professionals this is a great time for business.  But for a vast majority small business success is the furthest thing from their minds. The Holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are a difficult time.  

Small Business Success:  How Are You Planning For The Holidays? 

Many small business owners are so absorbed into their business where they don’t take the time to plan for the Holidays.  Part of success planning is understanding the rhythm and flow of your business.  Holiday planning in terms of inventories, payroll, special hours and time off are essential.  

As a personal business coach I find many self-employed business owners have a bad attitude about the Holidays.  Many of them have put into their small business marketing strategies allowances for the Holidays.  Many of them have expenses under control.  In fact, they will get through the Holidays in good shape.  

What’s the problem? 

Small Business Success:  Attitude Is Everything 

In business performance coaching virtually all small business success originates with your attitude.  As Zig Ziglar says, “You need a checkup from the neck up.”  Business success is about attitude.  And, many a small business owner has a bad attitude about the Holidays.  Maybe they get in the way of small business growth.  

Usually, that’s the reason on the surface.  The truth lies much deeper. They have a bad attitude because they have become involved in their business to the exclusion of nurturing important relationships, especially within the family.  The Holidays become a time when the self-employed business owner gets a report card on his relationships.  

And, when the business owner has invested very little in his personal relationships it becomes a time of dread.  It’s a time of dread because many of the people who are closest to you are going to mirror back who you are.  And, no one likes hearing about their shortcomings.  

Furthermore, the business owner has separated himself from the every day family activities and now has to spend extended time with family members where he feels he has very little in common.  It’s an awkward situation, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  

Small Business Success:  Good Family Relationships 

If the preceding touches on some issues for you, then it is time to think about doing some things differently.  Running a small business to where you have time with your family on a consistent basis is very often a choice.  The business owner, except in the startup mode, has a choice.  

When he is unhappy with himself or his family his work becomes his escape.  Here’s the dirty little secret.  He may be escaping from the family but he is escaping to a deteriorating family situation and personal life.  And, I can assure you as a personal business coach that if the personal life isn’t right, that sooner or later it adversely affects the business.  

Take this Holiday season to start getting things on the right track if you are not already there.  The greatest gift you can give someone is your time along with your attention.  

In my Business Keys To Success membership course you can learn how to improve your relationships with family and those close to you and your business.  Go to Business Keys To Success.com and discover how having a good business and a good life is not an either/or proposition.  You can have both a good business and a good life.  

Be grateful for the good that is in your life.  Show your gratefulness to others.  Talking is good.  Acting on it is better.  As it is said, there are talkers, stalkers and walkers.  Talking about being grateful and improving your relationships is good.  Stalking it means you are actually thinking about it and coming up with a plan of action.  Walking—you are actually doing it. 

Here’s the best part.  When you have a good Holiday season you are implementing one of the keys to small business success because you are giving yourself positive momentum to take into the New Year.